Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting in Durban, South Africa, 26 February 1951

This document is a collection of records regarding a UFO sighting in Durban, South Africa, in February 1951. The primary record is a Project 10073 card summarizing a sighting on February 26, 1951, at 0255Z. The witness, a lorry driver, described a torpedo-shaped object that was bright red, traveling parallel to the ground without making any noise or leaving a trail. The object was observed for approximately one minute. The documentation includes a memorandum from the Department of State to the Directorate of Intelligence at the Pentagon, transmitting a despatch from the American Consulate in Durban. This despatch contained two newspaper clippings from the Natal Daily News, dated February 21 and 22, 1951. These articles detail additional witness accounts, including passengers waiting for a train at Merebank station who observed the object over the Isipingo area. One witness described the object as appearing blue and changing shape from a ball to a torpedo before disappearing near Reunion Rocks. A local astronomer, Douglas Rob[illegible], provided a professional opinion, stating that while he did not witness the object himself, the possibility of it being a comet could be ruled out because the object traveled up the coast, whereas comets are known to travel only from west to east. The official conclusion recorded on the Project 10073 card is 'UNIDENTIFIED'.